Walida’s parents not ready for reconciliation – Youth Assembly

Mohamed Salihu Danlami is the Speaker of the Arewa Youth Assembly (AYM). He explains their role in the Walida case in this interview.   What brought you to the DSS office?  I had a call one morning from the DSS that I should come to their office and when I came, I met my friend […]

Mohamed Salihu Danlami is the Speaker of the Arewa Youth Assembly (AYM). He explains their role in the Walida case in this interview.

 

What brought you to the DSS office? 

I had a call one morning from the DSS that I should come to their office and when I came, I met my friend here, who is from the National Youth Council of Nigeria, and he briefed me on what we were called for. I was asked if I knew anything about this matter, I said, no, I only read it in Daily Trust newspaper. So, fortunately when we went to the room that day, the girl in question (Walida) was there. So we had the opportunity to interview the girl in Hausa and English.

 

Have you met her parents? 

Yes, we met her parents during our last meeting here. 

 

Who and who among her parents? 

Her father and his brother, Badamasi. They came with two lawyers. We were all here together with them. And the meeting was adjourned to today, Thursday, because when we were talking, they said, okay, let’s come to a conclusion on the welfare of the girl and her daughter. And one of the lawyers, Kabiru, stood. Although, the girl spoke well, he said he does not think the girl is in her right mental state and recommended medical examination on the girl. So that was why the whole issue was adjourned until today. We went for the medical examination at VCG, that’s the DSS hospital. Initially, it was to take place at the National Hospital, but then the regulator was called, that’s the Nigerian Medical Association, which conducted the medical examination. 

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You were there when the examination was carried out?

Yes, I was there. I met a lady from FIDA there.

 

The result that was read today indicated that she’s of sound mind. Why do you think she’s resisting to reunite with her parents? 

Well, from what she’s told us and what she said in front of everybody, including her own parents, what I can pick out is that she’s afraid of what will happen to her if she goes back home, because her uncle, who she openly introduced as Badamasi, openly told her that it’s better to see her dead body, according to her words, than to see her alive in this state with the baby. So, she’s afraid. And even when we went to that VGC clinic, she openly said if she goes back to her family in Jigawa, they might put her in a room and burn the room and claim it’s an accident.

 

Have you attempted to talk to the parents? 

Yes, the father does not speak English. So what we did that day was to interpret everything to the father, including what the uncle said.

The uncle refused to say anything, either to debunk it or to say it’s true. He refused to say anything. We asked the father, what does he have to say but he said the lawyers are the ones to say everything.

So, the parents are not ready to sit down and have a good parley.

They are not here today for us to hear their side of the story…

I’m even surprised, because they were the ones who made us come today. Their lawyer was the one who suggested the medical evaluation when we met the last time.

 

How do you think the problem will be resolved?

What we are hoping for is the happiness and the well-being of the girl and her daughter.